Abstract for presentation at Biodiversity Extinction Crisis Conference - A Pacific Response

Urbanisation commonly leads to habitat loss and fragmentation, and creates isolated wildlife populations. This poses significant challenges to traditional wildlife management techniques. Not only are many populations small, but often remnant native wildlife have some degree of reliance upon non-native elements of the peri-urban environment. In this paper we analyse a 10 year study of an endangered population of Long Nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) at North Head, Sydney, to track demographic responses to urbanisation. Bandicoots occupy a mosaic of urban and non-urban environments and appear particularly attracted to the human modified landscapes of lawns and garden beds. During the study period however, bandicoots still experienced habitat loss, increased vehicle traffic and recurrent visitation by exotic predators. We analyse the demographic health of the population including key indicators such as survival, mortality, reproductive output, longevity, population size and growth, and density. In particular we looked for the presence and duration of demographic signatures caused by significant disturbance events (fire, fox presence) and changes in land use.
We then test the hypothesis that bandicoots are caught in an “ecological trap”, whereby urban development provides superior foraging habitat (open lawns), but exposes individuals to higher mortality risk (exotic predators and vehicle traffic). Radio tracking data, combined with historical capture records, are used to determine habitat use and movement. These analyses will provide refined population parameters for more accurate forecasting of bandicoot dynamics, and aid local management and conservation decisions.